My Passion is My Downfall
by saiyukij
Summary: Talia/Bane reliationship from beginning to end. "I felt the man under me take a deep breath before he answered me. "She has gone away, my sweet and I'm afraid she will not be coming back. It does not matter anymore; you are mine now and I will take care of you." Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Greetings and well wishes! This is my very first fan fiction ever. I don't know about the rest of you but I have been borderline obsessed with the Talia/Bane relationship in TDKR. After reading fan fiction after fan fiction about them I decided to try my hand at it. Constructive criticism is welcome but only if it is respectful and constructive. Be sure to be kind and Review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TDKR or the characters.**

**My Passion is My Downfall**

**Chapter 1**

The first time I saw him I was barley four years old. He was watching me through the bars of my home, the protective cage that my mother never allowed me to leave. My bright blue eyes met his dark brown and I felt something pull inside of me. From that moment on I would seek him out on the days my mother was lost in thought. Some days he would be watching me as well but others he would be doing mundane things; drinking dirty water, or eating stale bread; once or twice I witnessed him fighting other inmates who considered themselves brave enough to fight a man of his stature.

One day my mother caught me watching him and told me not to stare at the other prisoners in the pit no matter how nice they pretended to be, that if any of them got their hands on me they would harm me badly. From the time I was born my mother had been fiercely guarded and taught me how to be cautious. I obeyed her and stopped watching him but I continued to feel his eyes on me. After a couple of days I gave into temptation and looked for him, his eyes met mine and I knew that he was not like the prisoners my mother warned me about. The hidden warmth in his dark eyes told me he would not harm me.

The day I lost my mother will always haunt me; her screams as she was attacked by the prisoners gave me nightmares for weeks. I tried to help her, tried to hurt one of the men hurting her and as he turned to hurt me in return I felt arms wrap around me and pull me away from my dying mother. I looked up to the face of the person who entrapped me and I felt the fear in my stomach disappear as my eyes met dark brown.

My faithful watcher was also the man who saved me and as we got further and further away from my old cell, the screams of my mother fading, the calmer I became. The man pulled my head to rest against his chest as he passed several prisoners; he held me tightly as he slide down a wall to sit.

"Do not worry child," his deep voice was hushed as to not gain unwanted attention from other prisoners. My hands clutched the fabric covering his arms and I realized I could no longer hear the faint wails of my mother.

"Where is my mother?" I whispered back. My eyes filled with tears as I somehow knew she had gone through great pain and was no more. I felt the man under me take a deep breath before he answered me. "She has gone away, my sweet and I'm afraid she will not be coming back. It does not matter anymore; you are mine now and I will take care of you."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello my lovely! I am astounded by all the amazing reviews I have gotten so far and the followers. Thank you for all the support! I promise my chapters will get longer (I may even go back and revised the first chapter.) In the beginning of my story I put Talia's age at about 4/5 years old when Bane gets her.**

**Thank you for reading and as always please review.**

**Also if any of you have any constructive criticism it is welcome. This chapter was a little hard for me to write so let me know what you think.**

**Also also, if there is anything you would like to read/see happen between Bane and Talia or just in this fanfiction let me know and I will try to work it in.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**My Passion is My Downfall**

**Chapter 2**

"What's your name?" I whispered. It was dark in our cell and cold, we huddled together on the small cot to keep warm. It had only been a couple of hours since my mother's death and I had spent the better part of that time grieving for her.

"You may call me Bane." His timber voice was right next to my ear and I felt his warm breath as he spoke. "What is your name child?" He asked.

"My mother named me Talia," I whispered into his neck. My head lay awkwardly on his shoulder but even so I was comfortable. His body heat engulfed me and I was warm despite the freezing temperature inside the pit.

"Talia," he repeated as if testing it out. "It suits you, it is a beautiful name. You may only use that in private; we must prevent the other prisoners from realizing you are a girl for as long as we can." The tone of his voice sounded urgent and secretive and I wondered if he were afraid to be caught with me. I did not voice my concern and settled into the silence that had fallen. The only sound in our cell was the sound of his steady breathing and soon my eyes felt heavy, I drifted off to sleep.

_As the doctor left our cell, my mother turned to me and smiled. I smiled back but then frowned when I realized I had not heard the cell door lock behind the doctor. I looked to the door in time to see a group of men forcing their way into our home. Two of the men grabbed my mother's hair and pulled her from me, hauling her off to the other side of the cell. A third man stood in front of her and slapped her face as she screamed._

_ I saw blood drip from her mouth and I ran forward and hit the man who had smacked her with my two fists. I pummeled his back as hard and fast as I could but it did not stop him. He gave my mother's face a final slap before turning around to me._

I covered my mouth as I woke up, the shriek in my throat dulled by my hands. I shook from head to toe and dripped with sweat as the memory of my mother's death brought tears to my eyes again. I felt Bane's hand smooth the wet strands of hair on my forehead. I turned around in his embrace and found that his eyes were still closed but his hand did not stop their motions on my head. I brought myself closer to his chest and allowed his movements to put me back to sleep.

When I awoke again I was alone in the cot, I rolled over to see where Bane had gone and I found him on the floor. He was using his arms to push his body up and down repeatedly, the muscles strained against his weight and he counted aloud to himself in a language I did not understand.

I sat silently on the edge of the cot and watched him, afraid he would be annoyed with me if I disturbed him. After a couple of minutes he chuckled and stopped, looking up at me through the material covering half his face. "Well good morning, child." He said "Do you enjoy staring at people?"

"What were you doing?" I asked.

"They were called pushups. I do them to exercise and stay strong." He replied.

"You must do them a lot then." I said wide eyed, earning myself another chuckle. I decided I enjoyed the sound of his laugh. I did not hear people laugh very often in the pit and my own mother only laughed seldom. She barely even smiled and on days she was lost in thought she never did. His laugh was different from my mothers, which had been light and high pitched while Bane's was deep and shook his whole chest.

Bane got up off the floor and went to a corner of the cell to start digging through a bag. He produced a couple pieces of bread wrapped in cloth and water skin. He passed me a slice of bread and gave me a look that told me to eat. I ate slowly, savoring the food. I had not realized how hungry I had become and as I finished the bread Bane handed me the water skin. I drank slowly also, allowing the water to slide down my throat gently. I drank for a couple of seconds only before handing it back, I did not want to seem selfish and drink too much even though I was still very thirsty.

As Bane took a drink I took the opportunity to look around the cell, what I would soon come to consider my new home. It was slightly smaller than the one I shared with my mother although I did not know if that were because it actually was smaller or that Bane took up so much more room. It was on the same side of the pit as my old cell and there were a lot more cracks in the ceiling and stone wall. The cot we shared was covered with more blankets than my old one and felt softer. I knew that eventually I would forget about my old cell and grow to consider this one my protective cage. Although I knew that it was not the bars that lined the cell that was the protection, it was Bane.

I looked back over at Bane and saw that he was watching me in turn. I felt my cheeks heat up in embarrassment at being caught in a daze and looked away. I could tell by the way his eyes light up that he was smiling under the material covering his mouth. I wished at that moment that it was safe enough to remove the cloth so that I may see it.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: A million thanks to everyone who reviewed/ added this to their favorites/ or follows this story. It is very encouraging to know people are enjoying my first fan fiction. If I could hug you all I would (lets settle for pretending). Enjoy this next chapter and please review. Let me know what you think, what you liked or would like to see.**

**A/N 2: Does anyone enjoy peanut butter cookies as much as I do?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or any of the characters.**

**My Passion is My Downfall**

**Chapter 3**

The pain in my neck grew as Bane bent my head even further back, trying to reach the top of my head with his dull knife. The tug and pull of the blade on my hair made me slightly dizzy, if I had not been already been on the ground I would have surely fallen by now.

It had been two weeks since Bane took me in and my hair had grown quickly. The knife he currently used to sliced through my hair he had fought a man for. I knew he only wanted to keep my hair short to make me look more like a boy, to protect me from the other prisoners and I was grateful. As Bane's hands fisted a crop of my hair I leaned back against his knees to help him get a better angle. It's funny how we had only known each other two weeks but most of the initial awkwardness between us was gone.

I felt Bane's hands gently smooth out what little hair I had left and brush off the excess hair from my forehead. He then stood up off the ground and set the knife on the cot before he looked back at me and chuckled. "Your hair looks awful, I can safely say cutting hair is not a great talent of mine." He said before he turned back around to put the knife in a bag.

"It's not like I can see it," I replied as I ran a hand through my hair. It was shorter than my mother had ever cut it and I suddenly felt embarrassed, and wondered what I looked like. I had never seen myself before but my mother often called me beautiful. She told me I looked like my father but I secretly hoped I looked like her, so that I could imagine what I looked like. I wondered what Bane thought but promptly decided not to ask such a vain question.

A shadow fell over the ground in front of me and I looked up to the cell door in confusion. The man I saw there looked ferocious, his yellow teeth visible through his snarl and mad eyes slightly covered by the cowl he wore on top of his head. His eyes met mine and I felt a chill go through me, I backed up against a wall before I stood and called Bane's name.

"What the hell do you want?" Bane's voice was deep and dangerous and I suddenly understood why so many of the inmates here feared him. The man before us smiled slowly as he gazed down at me and licked his dark lips. Bane immediately stood in front of me, his body kept me from view. I had never seen such a feral look before, it was as if the man wanted to eat me, to tear me limb from limb as many

men had done to my mother. The memory of my mother's screams and the fear of what happened to her caused me to shake.

"I want a rematch Bane." The man's voice was just as deep and dangerous as Bane's with added anger. "You think you're so strong, think you're a great fighter and I intend to prove you wrong. Our fight today was a fluke and I just want you to know you better keep a close eye on your back and the child."

I saw the muscles in Bane's back tighten at the man's last statement and then he slowly turned to me. I was still shaking with fear when he bent down in front of me, I could see over his shoulder that the man had left already. That did not make me feel any better. I felt Bane's muscular arms encircle me and draw me close, in an attempt to comfort me.

"It is alright, child, he is gone now. No matter what he said to threaten me I will not allow any harm to come to you. Believe me, Talia, you are safe as long as I am here with you and you with me." His words brought me reassurance and wrapped around me as tight as his arms did. The warmth in his body slowly seeped from his arms and into me to stop my trembles.

That night my nightmares were not about my mother but about Bane. The other inmates were tore at him and it was his screams that awoke me. My eyes opened slowly and once I realized I was alone in the cot I was alert. I looked about the cell and Bane was nowhere to be found, a shout in the pit made me to bolt from the bed and run to the bars to look out. There was a swarm of men, too many of them to see what they surrounded. I had the suspicion that it was a fight, as was custom, but could not make out who was in the fight. I only hoped Bane was okay.

I gave up my attempt to see and sat on the cot to wait. I heard another yell come from the group of men, and a couple of indignant shouts before all went quiet. I waited and hoped that Bane had just watched and not participated in the fight but deep down I knew the truth. I heard the mumbles and foot shuffles of the men as they went about their daily tasks, the fight was over.

The sound of the cell door made my head shoot up and I saw Bane, he was dirty and slightly bruised around his right eye but otherwise he was fine. He looked surprised to see me up but soon recovered and shut the cell door behind him. He laid the dull knife he used to cut my hair on the ground by the cot, it was covered in blood.

"I told you I would not allow him to harm you and I meant it." He whispered to me.

My eyes widened as I looked at the knife and I knew that the man from yesterday would never bother me again. I felt a strange sense of comfort and satisfaction as I watched the blood drip from the knife onto the ground. Suddenly I knew how dedicated Bane was to me and I brought my eyes back up to meet his, by the look in his own I knew my gratitude shone in mine.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Oh my, it has been a while since I updated. I am sorry for the wait but between work and classes starting back up I haven't had much time for anything else. I promise I will try to update more often because I hate it when I am reading a fanfiction and the author doesn't update for months, I will not do that to you guys. Thank you to all of my reviewers, followers, and people who added this story to their favorites. Also, for all of the Romy fans out there I am going to be starting a Romy fanfiction, so be on the look out!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

**My Passion is My Downfall**

**Chapter 4**

My fingers moved clumsily through the dirt beside our cot, the numbers Bane taught me formed slowly as I tried to remember them. I was up to forty-four, Bane had left the comfort of our cell a while ago and I used the lessons to preoccupy myself. I had been astounded by all of the things Bane had taught me so far, numbers and letters, the outside world. He taught me about different plants, foods, and animals and told me stories he had seen performed by something called actors. I enjoyed these immensely and slowly we fell into a routine like the one I had with my mother before she died.

Bane would teach me new things every day and go over old things with questions to see how much I remembered. It had been months since he first took me in and he always made sure I had enough to eat and drank plenty of water. He would often leave the cell and come back with food when we were out, he never allowed me to go hungry when rations were short although several prisoners died of starvation every week.

My mother and Bane often treated me with the same gentleness but Bane was stern and expected obedience. I was not allowed to leave the cell unless it was in the early morning hours and he was by my side, my ever steady guardian. The cell door opened and I glanced up to see Bane with a refilled water flask, he glanced down at the numbers I had drawn before shutting the door.

"You are doing very well." He said and I saw a hint of smugness in his eyes. I knew he was proud that he had taught me so many things; he once said he felt like it gave him a purpose.

"I can make it to one hundred," I boasted. He laughed at my attempt to show him how much I remembered and I blushed furiously and lowered my head back to the ground. I continued my numbers making it to sixty nine before I had trouble. I paused and tried to remember what number came next, I felt Bane brush against my shoulder as he leaned down next to me.

"Come now Talia, you know this one. Look at the sevens and at the zeroes, they both combine to make what number?"

"Seventy?"

"That's right seventy. What comes after seventy?"

"Seventy one."

"Yes, now make the numbers."

I formed the seven first and then the zero before moving on the seventy one, Bane watched me with amusement. I hoped that I had not disappointed him by my stumble but as I looked up into his eyes I saw no anger or shame but a hint of a smile.

"You have improved a lot since last week, I was beginning to worry that I had pushed too much onto you at once, I am pleased."

I felt my face heat up again at his compliment, a sense of pride welled up in my chest that I had made him happy. I did not want him to ever regret me or his decision to intervene when the men killed my mother. I had asked him once why he had saved me, it was a couple of weeks after he had and I felt shame when I asked worried that he would wonder why he did it himself.

He surprised me with his answer, _because you are innocent_ he had said. Bane never explained further and I never asked, I decided to be satisfied with his answer and take my blessing for what it was. I still often wondered why he kept me around, why he took so much care with me and protected me. I knew my mother did it because she was my mother and she loved me.

As I finished up with number seventy one, I decided to ask Bane the question that had plagued me for weeks. I brushed the dirt off of my fingers and tried to look nonchalant as I spoke to him.

"Bane?"

"Yes, Talia?"

"Do you love me?"

"Yes, Talia."

"Is it because I'm innocent?"

"No, it's because you're Talia."

**A/N: Please Review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who added this to their favorites or is following this story, I am so glad that you guys are enjoying it. Also, a big thanks to all of you who reviewed; you guys make my day! =) In response to a question I got in regards to this fan fiction, it will be a good few chapters before we see a more grown up Talia (I don't know if you meant grown up as in The Dark Knight or something different) but I want to establish a deep relationship between Talia and Bane that started in the pit and ended with his loyalty to her in Gotham. I do not like reading fics that jump ahead decades in time so I will not be doing that here. I'm sorry if that disappoints some of you who want to see a romantic relationship between the two right away, but I hope that you guys are okay with that and stay with this story.**

**Please enjoy this chapter and don't forget to review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Dark Knight or any of its affiliates.**

**My Passion is My Downfall**

**Chapter 5**

_Deh-shay, deh-shay bah-sah-rah, bah-sah-rah! Deh-shay, deh-shay bah-sah-rah, bah-sah-rah! _The chants of the inmates woke me from my slumber and I shifted under Bane's heavy arm to look out of the cell bars at the crowd of men below the wall. It had only been two days since another man had attempted the climb and it was unusual that another would try so soon after; but I watched as he stumbled up, his hands grasped at the wall to get a grip. _Deh-shay, deh-shay bah-sah-rah, bah-sah-rah! _

I felt Bane stir beside me and grunt as he too turned his head to watch the man attempt the climb, his eyes still half lidded with sleep. The man was a fourth of the way up but he was tired, I could see it in the way his legs slid lazily along the stones of the wall, he wouldn't make it more than another foot before he fell. The climb was one of the few sources of entertainment the inmates had amongst themselves, and about once a month a brave soul would attempt the wall; Bane told me no one had ever made it all the way up.

I wondered if the fact that the guards had lowered no rations in two and a half weeks had anything to do with the desperation that settled over the inmates. My own stomach grumbled at the thought of food, Bane had been doing his best to split the rations so that they would last us a long while but we were starting to run low, I had not eaten since the night before and I knew Bane had not eaten since two nights ago. Lately the desperation seemed to cloud the entire pit and I felt a sense of something evil headed towards us. Although I knew Bane would take care of me, I worried about him. Bane shifted again and it drew my focus back to the wall, the man had stopped now and was looking around, trying to find a spot to grab. He reached up and gripped a hand full of stone and lifted his feet before his hand slipped and he tumbled down to the ground with a crack.

The crowd of men quickly split and went along their way, back to the corners of darkness they had come from to go about their day. The man lay on the ground in a pool of blood and dirt, a couple of inmates lifted him up under the arms and dragged him away from the wall. I sighed as I laid my head back down on the cot but did not return to my earlier contemplation, instead I glanced at Bane. His brown was furrowed and his eyes were darker than usual, I reached out a hand to touch his face and he shifted away from me and then got up.

I felt a sense of rejection but quickly squashed it down deep inside of myself, in the three years I had been here with Bane I had learned not to take his mood swings personally. I knew they had nothing to do with me and that he had a lot on his mind. Bane was going through the rations bag and grunting under his breath, I sat up slowly and tried to listen to what he was saying to himself but his voice was too muffled by the cloth covering his mouth for me to hear.

My toes pointed out as I stretched my legs and arms, my muscles were cramped after a long night of sleep and they screamed out if protest. I moved the blankets off of me and stood to stretch my legs even further just as Bane stood up from the sack. He looked over at me with frustrated eyes and I stared back at him bewildered.

"What's the matter?" I asked quietly.

"We only have a couple days' worth of rations left, maybe a week if we stretch it out by eating only every two days." He replied gruffly.

"Okay, but the guards will probably send rations down again soon so it's not that bad right?"

"Talia, the word around the pit is that the guard will not be sending down any rations for another two weeks. They want to punish us for the riot that broke out last month, they want to break us. I fear that another riot may ensue if the inmates get any angrier and desperate for food and we will not make it with the little food we have left." Bane's eyes did not match the calm and collected tone his voice held, his eyes looked worried, something I had yet to really see in Bane since before I really knew him. I understood that the situation was dire and that any normal eight year old girl would have panicked but I did not want Bane to see that in me; I set my jaw and look him in the eyes before I took a deep breath.

"Do not fret, my friend, I have faith that all will be well." I said in a clear voice, however the nervousness in my belly did not fade and that sense of evil was becoming more prominent.

Bane and I decided not to eat the day, ironically I was too worried about not having enough to eat to actually eat anything and I knew Bane just wanted to conserve food. The worry in his eyes from earlier had me sitting quietly for most of the day while Bane went about his usual routines. Later that night we huddled together like always in our cot and his rhythmic breathing and warm arms put me to sleep quickly despite the thoughts still racing through my mind.

My eyes snapped open as I felt something cover my mouth, as my eyes adjusted to the darkness I could see a face hovering over mine that I did not recognize. He pressed his body on mine as his other hand came up around my throat; I thrashed violently under him trying to get him off. My hands gripped his arm and I pressed my finger nails into his forearm hard, my fingers quickly became wet and warm with blood. The hand he had around my throat became tighter and I gasped for air before quickly biting down on the hand that covered my mouth. He removed his hand with a yelp and back handed me, I saw stars as I gasped for air and thrashed even more, my legs kicked at him to no avail. I felt darkness come upon me as I felt my heart thundering against my chest and before I could muster up enough air to scream darkness swept over me.

**A/N2: Dun Dun Dun! My first cliff hanger! Don't worry I will update soon but please don't forget to review!**


	6. Chapter 6

** A/N: Greetings! First of all this is not a real update, more like a revision of chapter six. I collaborated with a friend of mine to write the original chapter six and I did not like the way it turned out. After a couple weeks of thinking it over I decided to redo the chapter. However, if you liked the previous version better just let me know. **

** Thank you all for your continued support, it really makes my day. I will have chapter seven up soon. Please read and REVIEW!**

**My Passion is My Downfall**

**Chapter 6**

The man's hands pressed hard upon my eyes, preventing me from seeing his face fully. I felt his stuff a bitter tasting cloth into my mouth before a hand enclosed my throat. I felt tears stream down my face beneath his hand as his body weight pressed down of me fully making it more difficult to breath. I kicked my feet harder, willing myself not to just give up and die.

My throat constricted further as his hand tightened and just as soon as he was on top of me he was gone. I heard his body crash into bars of the cell and the sound of flesh hitting flesh before there was a sickening crunch. I sat on the bed and spit the cloth out of my mouth, trying to regulate my breathing and calm myself. I opened my tear filled eyes and turned my head to see Bane standing next to the bed, one hand out stretched to touch my face. I grabbed his hand and crawled on top of him, clawing at his shirt until I was tucked into his shoulder so tightly it looked as if we were one body.

Over his shoulder I could see the man whom had attacked me on the ground near the cell door, his head was lying at an odd angle and I knew that Bane had snapped his neck. Bane's hands held me tightly and it calmed me down, the feeling of his chest rising and falling in breath against my head regulated my own breathing.

I loosened my arms from around Bane's neck and I tried to move from his embrace, but his arms would not move from around me. I was startled when I felt his own breathing shutter and his arms tighten before he set me back down onto the bed. He walked over to the body and lifted it up on his shoulder and opened the cell door. He stepped out and shut the door firmly behind him before walking down the railing and out of sight. I wrapped my arms tightly around my knees and laid my head down upon them, it was not long before I heard Bane's heavy footsteps coming closer and I looked up when he opened the cell door.

"Where were you?" I asked him quietly. As far as I knew Bane had never left me alone at night before and I was becoming slightly angry at the fact that he had tonight.

"I went to get food," He gestured to the small bag he had set by the door. "I never imagined this would have happened. I thought I shut the door firmly behind me but perhaps in my haste I did not. I am so sorry Talia." His voice was quiet and muffled behind the cloth but I could hear the sadness in them and I suddenly felt guilty for being angry. He fell to his knees in front of me and breathed deeply before laying his head on my shoulder.

"I am so sorry Talia, please forgive me." He rasped. I realized then that he was just as afraid as I had been.

"It's ok, you came in time Bane. You saved me Bane, its ok." I said as I patted his back. I pushed his head up from my shoulder and I lay back down in bed, I moved as far as I could over to the wall to give Bane room. He climbed into bed beside me and wrapped me tightly in his arms, although I was still frightened and apprehensive his warmth put me to sleep.

_Quiet._

_Sleep._

_Warmth._

_Sleep._

The next day, in the early hours of the dawn, Bane dragged me out to the wall. It was the first time I had seen it up close and I was in awe at the sized of it. It was made of stones, millions of stones and many of them looked sharp and jagged. There was a ledge toward the top, but it seemed strangely unattainable.

"Why are we out here?" I asked Bane.

"I want you to take a good look at the wall Talia. Look at the way its structure; look at its strength and its weakness. This wall is the only thing keeping you from the outside and one day you will conquer this wall Talia. You will rise up and take your first breath of clean air and you will live a life full of happiness in the light. I want you to promise me Talia that one day you will make it out of the pit and live your life." He told me.

"I promise Bane."

We stood there staring up at the wall until the sounds of the stirring inmates grew too loud.

_Days._

_Months._

_Years. _

_Promise, Promise me._

_Bane._

It had been four years since Bane started dragging me out to the wall; we went every morning, in the early pre-dawn hours and just stared. I often just imagined what life would be like outside the pit, I knew Bane wanted me to concentrate on the wall and how I could climb it but I could not help myself. I imagined living with Bane and having him teach me all about the world, I wanted him to be with me always. I could not imagine a life outside the pit that did not have him there to guide me.

In the past year, Bane had developed a peculiar habit of telling me more and more about my parents and what he knew of them. He told me what he had heard from others about them; my mother was a warlord's daughter and he had an employee named Henri Ducard with whom my mother had fallen in love with. They married secretly and my mother became pregnant, when her father found out he sentenced Henri to live out his life in the pit but my mother took his place. The princess of the pit, the princess of hell.

After that night four years ago there were no more inmates that snuck in at night to try and hurt me, Bane never left my side. It was only a month ago that the men of the pit had started to leer at me with hunger in their eyes. The feeling of doom returned to me in full force and I awoke one day to blood on my sheets and worriedly woke Bane. He immediately dragged me to the Doctor of the pit, I found out women have a menstrual cycle and I was slowly but surely becoming a woman.

Bane's eyes held a silent fury as he watched the doctor explain to me what was happening; before we left he moved close to the doctor and talked to him quietly. I apologized profusely to Bane, feeling that this was somehow my fault but he told me it could not be controlled. He confirmed to me what I already knew, I would have to conquer the wall and soon before the other inmates discovered my blood secret.

Bane hid me away in the cell, taking me out earlier in the morning to the wall and not allowing me to get within three feet of the cell bars. He only went to get food and water, otherwise he was always by my side, glaring at the other inmates and daring them to get within feet of me. More and more of them were starting to pay attention to the child in the cell, watching my every move with their hungry demonized eyes.

One morning something felt different, Bane awoke early and then woke me and we took our walk to the wall. We stared at the wall for a shorter amount of time than usual, I could see Bane was tense and as I turned to ask him what was wrong I saw a group of men. They were ferocious looking and were stalking toward us with purpose. I swallowed quickly before I felt myself being lifted into the air.

"Climb!" Bane's voice ordered.

"What?! What's happening?" I squeaked as I gripped the ledge of the wall and hoisted myself up. The group was closer now, in a few feet they would be upon us, fear made me shake.

"They found out, now climb!" Bane ordered again before punching one of the men in the face. I gripped the wall tightly and hoisted myself up further and further before I reached the ledge towards the top. I turned around expecting Bane to be not far behind me but to my horror he was fighting twenty or so men and they were quickly swarming around him. He was pushing them back, preventing them from following me up the wall as they desperately tried to claw at the stones.

Tears filled my eyes as Bane looked up at me as men gripped him from all sides, they removed the cloth form his face and I say him mouth the word _goodbye. _I watched as the men dragged him down and swallowed my tears, I would not give up. I would make Bane proud, as I gripped the ledge of the wall I felt warmth spread across my hands. I pulled myself up and greeted the outside world for the first time.

_Goodbye._

_Promises._

_Bane._

_Quiet._

_Cold._

_Alone._

**Thanks for reading, please Review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: First off let me apologize; it has been way too long since I gave you guys an update. I really appreciate everyone's patience with me and devotion to my fanfiction. Secondly, I redid chapter 6 so take a look at it if you want (I explained why I decided to redo the chapter in my AN). Thirdly, THANK YOU all so much for your adds and your review, seriously; you guys make me so happy.**

**OH! Before I forget, for anyone who is a Rogue/Remy (Xmen) or a Captain America/Black Widow (Avengers) fan, I recently started a fic for each. I know I am so terrible for not finishing this one first, but I promise this one is my primary responsibility until it is finished. I hope to have it done within 17 chapters. So if anyone wants to check out my other ffs please do.**

**Enjoy this chapter, I promise to update soon. DON'T forget to REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or any of the affiliates.**

**My Passion is My Downfall**

**Chapter 7**

I had been in town for almost seven days; feeling dirtier than usual and tired. After I escaped the pit, leaving Bane behind with tears in my eyes, I traveled for days before coming upon some locals whom brought me into town. They were an older couple who were nice enough, once arriving to town I went my separate way; desperately searching for anyone who could tell me where Henri Ducard was living. I slept behind buildings in the hours I was not consistently looking for my father, some of the citizens gave me food out of pity.

The buildings were all so strange; animals that I had never seen but had been told about were suddenly within my grasp. I felt very free but part of me was still in the pit, part of me was still with Bane and always would be. In my desperation to find my father I scarcely spent time looking around, I was constantly moving, constantly asking.

One day while I was inquiring with some men that were selling some cloth, men clad in black came up and grabbed me. One of them put their hands around my mouth and nose; I smelled something strange before I passed out.

I dreamt of the pit, the comfortable nights with Bane just lying there huddled together on the tiny cot.

Bane.

When I awoke I was lying on something very big and very soft, it was a thin blanket that had been tinted a dark blood color. The room around me was prettier than anything I had ever seen before; it was all shiny like the inside of a stone. I slowly got up and walked around the room, looking at all the designs in the wall and big square pictures.

I jumped when I heard a door open and close behind me and turned to see a tall man, he was not old but he had two streaks of gray in his black hair. He also had a beard like many of the men in the pit did, his eyes were a dark color and as I looked at him cautiously I was surprised to see tears in them. This man blinked a couple of times before he came closer to me.

"Child, do you know who I am?" He spoke in a timid and deep voice.

I shook my head, looking up at him with wide eyes and stood still; I was slightly afraid of what this man had intended for me.

"I had heard there was a ragged little girl, with big blue eyes searching for a man named Henri Ducard in town. I was skeptical at first, wondering why a child would be searching for me so I sent some men out to retrieve you. I know who you are, I knew the moment I laid eyes on you and now that you are awake I can see your eyes. You look exactly like your mother, my love and wife. I am your father child, my name was Henri Ducard but I am now known as Ras Al Ghul." He told me.

My heart leapt in my chest, I had done it, I had found my father! He reached out and I touched his hand curiously, once within his grasp he pulled me to him and crushed me to his chest. I felt tears come to my eyes and spill over; I clutched the clothing on his shoulders and sobbed.

We stayed that way for a while before he slowly released me and whipped my eyes, smiling as he did so.

"What is your name?" He asked softly.

"Talia," I whispered.

"Well Talia, we have much to talk about. First I want to get you cleaned up and get some food in you; I can see the bones through your skin."

_Two Weeks Later_

When I had told my father of what I knew, the story of my mother taking his place in the pit, his face grew still and he clutched his chest until his knuckles turned white. I did not want to tell him anymore of her but he wanted to know how she died, I saw his eyes turn an even darker color in his anger and hate. I also told him about my life there and I told him lots of stories of Bane, especially the stories of when he saved me.

It was not long after that I felt a deep pain in my chest start to grow, even though I knew that Bane was more than likely dead and that he would not want me to return; I needed to go back and see for myself. I finally worked up the courage to ask for that favor from my father, he was quiet for a few moments but it only took him seconds to agree to go and look for Bane.

However, I was not permitted to go; He left me at his home with a few of his men while he and his best men traveled to the pit.

It was three days after they left that they came back with a bloodied and broken Bane carried between them. The cloth covering his face only obscured part of the bloody bandages covering most of his face. They took him immediately to the doctor that resided in one of the wings of the house, I tried to follow once I saw Bane start to struggle when the men placed him upon a table but my father held out his hand in front of me. I could do nothing but stand there and listen to the agonized groans coming from behind the doctor's closed door.

**Thanks for reading, Please Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Yay! Chapter 8 already, I cannot believe it. I just want to thank you all so much for your continued support, I would not be continuing this story if it were not for you guys. I just hope you all read this chapter and enjoy it, for those of you interested Bane and Talia's relationship will start to evolve into something entirely different in the next couple chapters.**

**Please Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own, if only I could own Tom Hardy.**

**My Passion is My Downfall**

**Chapter 8**

In the days following Bane's rescue from the pit I was not permitted to see him, my father said that he was not conscious most of the time and the sight of his face would frighten me. I did not care about his face or what he looked like; I just wanted to be with him like all the times he was there for me.

I decided one night that I would disobey my father, it was the first time I had ever thought so and I was slightly worried of the repercussions. My worry was outweighed by longing for Bane; I needed to reassure myself that he was here and this was real, that I was not stuck down in the pit.

When it was dark and my father had long but gone to sleep I snuck out of the soft silk covers of my bedding. The room my father had provided me with upon my agreement to live with him was lavish and grander than anything I had ever seen before. It was filled with all the colors I was never accustomed to in the pit and several pairs of clothing, there was one big window that allowed me to gaze at the stars at night.

This night the moon lit my room and allowed me to see my way out, I walked as quietly as I had been taught to by Bane. He taught me the art of stealth in the rare occasion he let me leave the cell in the early morning hours, it was prudent to be as quiet as possible so as not to disturb the other prisoners. I found it ironic that this skill taught to me by Bane was being used to go see him now.

I made it through the hall way without incident and pushed the heavy door open, the only barrier between me and Bane.

The rooms was very big, almost as big as my bedroom and despite all the metal tables and curtains inside my eyes were immediately drawn to the figure of Bane lying on a white bed in the middle of the room. I crept over to him, worried that I would disturb him and as I got closer I could see that there were less bandages covering his face than when he came in but he was still obscured.

I reached out and gently touched the hand lying at his side, jumping slightly when his hand squeezed around mine. I looked up startled and saw that his eyes were looking back at me, the light of the moon shining in them. I smiled widely and gripped his hand tighter.

"Bane, my friend. It will be alright now." I told him softly.

He sighed deeply before shutting his eyes tightly, the grip on my hand loosening slightly but not letting go.

_Months later_

Bane had healed impeccably, even the doctors said so. Within weeks he was walking with the help of a cane and only weeks after that he was walking on his own. My father permitted me to see him a week after I snuck in to see him. My father was unaware that I had been in to see him every night since that first night; I could not stay away from him.

Bane's face would never be the same, I was still unsure what had been done to him but I knew he was in constant pain. My father brought in a specialist whom could develop a mask for him to wear; it would constantly release a gas that would help control the pain. I knew my father did not care what type of pain Bane was in but he brought in the specialist to make me happy, he did a lot of things to make me happy I noticed.

I did the same thing; I agreed to start training with him a mere couple of days after arriving here. I saw the appreciation and pride that came across his face fleetingly when I said yes.

It made me happy that I could make him happy; it felt nice to have a piece of my mother back.

_Two years later_

My first mission with the league of shadows had gone well, under my father and Bane's tutelage I had strived to become an excellent fighter. I was proud to say I could best any of the men in my father's league, excluding Bane of course. At only fourteen years of age I was beating the sweat out of men twice my age.

I was under the watch of Antoni on my mission; we were retrieving information on the government of Pakistan. I was not sure what exactly was on the hard drive I brought back but I knew it was of most importance. Upon my return I handed over the hard drive to my father, he hugged me tightly before disappearing into his chambers and locking the door.

I sighed in relief and ran off in the direction of Bane's room, I was eager to let him know I was alright because I knew he had not wanted me to go on this mission without him. He had approached my father about this decision and came back sulking in a very unlike Bane way.

Throwing open the door to Bane's room I rushed in and found him reading, he looked up sharply but his shoulders relaxed when he saw it was me. He shut his book loudly before striding over and gripping me in a hug, my feet were dangling above the ground and I laughed.

"It went well" I told him breathlessly.

"I care not Talia, I only care that you are not hurt." He told me quietly.

I smiled widely and tightened my arms around his neck, crushing his head into the crook of my neck.

**Sorry it's so short; I hoped you enjoyed it anyway. Please Review.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Dear Readers, I am so sorry that it has taken me this long to update. I appreciate the continued support and loyalty from you all, I had some family issues that needed taken care of and transitions in school that prevented me from updating but everything is better now. Thank you all so much and here is the next awaited chapter! **

**Please enjoy and don't forget to review! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own and I made no money off of this story.**

**My Passion is My Downfall**

**Chapter 9**

After four years of living with my father and becoming his protégé, I thought that nothing would have caught me off guard. I stood there in the middle of the room my father had given me, a room of red and gold satins, listening to the explosions and screams down the hall.

Despite the training I had been given by my father and Bane both, which changed my body from the frail and thin form of a twelve year old to a lithe and muscled form of a sixteen year old, I was frozen. I kept waiting for either my father or Bane to come running through the door and bring me to safety but as the screams and explosions grew louder, I knew that the fight was coming towards me and I was going to have to get myself to safety.

I grabbed the knife I kept hidden under my pillow for protection and threw on pants and a tunic before throwing open my door and looking both ways. The right side of the hall way was alight and clear but the left was blocked by a billow of smoke, a streak of courage crept up my spine and I considered going down the left, to fight with the men who had become my brothers but I knew that my father would be furious, if he was still alive. Bane would be unhappy too, both of them would want me to do what I could to survive; even if that meant running away while my brothers called out in pain.

Despite my father's unspoken wishes I took off down the smoke filled hallway, trying desperately to see whom it was that had decided to attack the League of Shadows and any comrades that were alive and fighting.

The smoke was becoming thicker, the farther down the hall I got and I started to cough and tears filled my eyes. I dropped down to the ground and started to crawl, from this angle the smoke wasn't as thick and I could see several pairs of feet not two yards away from me. One of the pairs was standing next to a body; the black cowl the body wore signaled to me that a member of the League was either very wounded or dead.

I crept up toward the pair of feet next to the body, noting the white outfit, and sliced open his Achilles tendons. The man screamed and dropped to the ground and I rolled to get out way before the man could fall on me.

I could see feet rushing toward us and I knew I needed to get out of there, I got up and turned to run in the opposite direction but I was grabbed by my upper arms and spun around.

The sharp sound of flesh hitting flesh resounded in my ears and my head snapped to the side, pain shooting up from my chin to my temple and my eyes went dark for a second. I tried to pry the hands that were bruising my arms off and push away the people that had surrounded me but my struggling proved to be pointless.

I was tossed to the ground in the middle of the group, and my mind flashed to my last memory of my mother before one of the legs next to me swung back before colliding with my side. I curled into myself, the knife in my fist and gasped in agony as I was kicked from all sides, all over my body.

I felt myself slowly start to go limp, the fight draining out of my body but I gripped the knife with all my might and clutched it to my chest. The men stopped kicking me, but my mind was too groggy to comprehend what they were saying to each other, two of them grabbed my legs and dragged me down the hall. I could see a trail of my blood smear behind me on the floor, just past that laid the man I had cut and the body of my fallen comrade.

_Blood._

_ My blood._

_ A trail of blood._

_ Trail of tears._

Gasping, I sat up in bed and looked around frantically. My chest was heaving and I couldn't catch my breath, I gripped my shirt right above my heart and felt the fast beats beneath. Tears streamed down my face and I took a pillow to my face before screaming into it, willing the memories of that terrible night away.

Nightmare after nightmare had plagued my sleep after that attack three weeks ago, seeing the state I was in after the first week, my father relented and allowed Bane to have the room next to mine. Bane had been relentless in his pursuit of the room, insisting that if perhaps he or my father had been closer during the attack, I would not have gotten hurt. It gave me slight peace to know that Bane was so close_, _that I could call out to him if I needed.

I had called out to him night after night when he finally moved in to the room next door and he came to me, offering comfort and protection that he couldn't before. Bane got as little sleep as I had and I felt guilty for keeping him up, I knew how tired he was and how his body was exhausted enough due to its condition without me occupying his time meant for rest.

I resolved to myself this morning, when I saw the bags under his eyes and his slumped shoulders that I would get through tonight's nightmares myself should they choose to invade my mind.

However, Bane seemed to have other ideas as he silently crept into my room and sat behind me on my bed before gathering me in his arms and holding me close. His warmth and strength seeping into me and stilling my shaking form.

I wrestled closer to his chest, still clutching the pillow to my face, and his arms wrapped around me tighter before he began to gently rock me.

If anyone else could see Bane right now, clutching a crazy teenage girl to his chest and rocking her back and forth, they would never believe he was the deadliest assassin the League had ever occupied.

I knew he was more than an assassin, more than a member of the League. Bane, to me was protection, strength, my best friend, and my home.

**Oh! Poor Talia! Before you all think I am a pervert, no she wasn't hurt like her mother. I don't like fanfiction that include stuff like that, I had no control over what happened to Talia's mother, that is cannon to the movie but I will not subject Talia to that treatment. I will explain more of the attack and what actually happened to Talia in the next chapter, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please Review!**


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